How to Fish for Freshwater Catfish

Welcome to Fish for Catfish. You're guide to learning more about how to fish for Freshwater catfish. All the advise that you will need to know on how to find and catch big channel cat, white cat, blue cat, and flathead is available here.

Discover Tips, Fishing Techniques, and Helpful Resources about How to Fish for Freshwater Catfish.

Freshwater catfish are critters of habit, during the day they tend to hide around submerged rocks and logs where they can shelter themselves from any possible predators. It is at evening hours when these unique fish seek out the open water to find food. Catfish are ample in number with respect to family and species type. They are found in various areas all over the world although specific types of catfish stay within certain regions.

Freshwater catfish vary in size, depending on their age and what variety they are. They can range anywhere from a few inches to a few feet and come in a variety of weights as well. One unique trait which a Freshwater catfish possesses, in addition to the familiar barbells, is the lack of any scales. This also makes identifying a catfish quite an easy task for beginner and advanced anglers alike.

Freshwater catfish are popular amidst many types of fishermen. There are 37 catfish families and these varieties are found in both freshwater and saltwater, depending upon the type of cat fish. Most likely one of the most distinctive traits which cat fish possess is their catlike whiskers, or barbel. It is hard to mistake a cat fish for yet another type of fish due to this visible attribute.

Since they tend to hide during the daylight hours, fishermen who are looking to catch freshwater catfish should do so when night falls. As for bait, there are a few items which cat fish are more drawn to than others. Tantalizing items for the cat fish include live bait such as shrimp, chicken liver and worms whereas lures in the form of spoons, jigs and spinners will all do the trick of catching some cat fish.

The freshwater catfish eats a variety of foods which come within its reach. Items such as smaller fish, water insects and more all make up the eclectic menu for the catfish. For the avid fishermen out there who target cat fish as their selected catch, there are a few tips which make fishing for catfish that much easier. The first tip is to fish for these varieties at nighttime when they are out and about.

Freshwater Catfish are a unique type of fish which many fishermen look for when they are out on the water. Fishermen who desire to reel in some cat fish are sure to find that the previously mentioned tips may help them to land that perfect catch.

How To Reel in a Big Freshwater Catfish

If you've been fishing for a little while, maybe you're wondering when that first big catch is going to come. While there's no way to guarantee that you'll land that 25 pound freshwater catfish anytime soon, it pays to know how to reel in a big fish if, and when the moment comes, or you may be in for a quick lesson on where the phrase "the one who got away" comes from! It's a lot more than simply pulling hard. However, you can hone your technique on smaller fish and be more comfortable with the mechanics when a big one bites.

It's a little tough to strike the right balance, but basically you want to give the fish enough pressure that it fights to break free without using so much pressure that your line snaps. The object is to get the freshwater catfish to tire itself out so that you'll have an easier time bringing it out of the water. If you feel that your line is about to snap, allow a little more drag, then slowly start to reeling him in again.

There are a few things to keep in mind, depending on your situation. For instance, when fishing from shore, you want to try to reel in the fish out as quickly as possible, since there are more objects like rocks and reefs that can break the line. If you're big-game fishing, it's important that you really tucker the him out - bringing an energetic animal onto the boat can be dangerous.

There's definitely a special touch that comes with being able to reel in the big freshwater catfish, but with enough practice, you may be able to do it without any trouble at all.

Fishing For Freshwater Catfish in Lakes

Tackle To Use Fish For Freshwater Catfish In Lakes

Match the tackle to the size of the cats you expect to catch. Smaller cat fish are more fun to catch on lighter spinning reels, but you need heavy rods and reels with good drag, and heavy line to land really big cat fish. When going after 50 pound plus cat fish use light saltwater gear is a must.

For most fishing, a six or seven foot medium action spinning rod with a reel that has a good drag will cover many situations. Spool the reel with ten pound line and you can land cats from a pound to ten pounders eaisly. For cat fish 11 lbs and larger I would go with 20 - 35 lb test line this will handle most any size fish you may catch.

Where to Fish For Freshwater Catfish in a Lake

Cat fish, especially big ones, will hold along old creek and river channels in deep water in lakes. They move more shallow to feed, especially at night, and flats along a channel are especially good. Follow a creek channel across a flat to the back of a cove and you will find cat fish somewhere along it. They will hold on any kind of bottom, from rocks to mud, but they seem to like hard bottoms like clay or gravel.

The depth can be critical. In winter and summer cats will hold in the deepest water that has enough oxygen to support them, searching for temperatures in the mid 70s. In the south that can be very deep. In spring they will move into shallow water with hard bottoms to spawn. In the fall they will move more shallow as the water cools in to the 70s on top, then back deeper as it gets colder. Freshwater catfish can be caught in cold water, even when ice fishing, but they are usually thought of as a warm water fish.

Baits To Use to For Freshwater Catfish Fishing In Lakes

Cat fish will eat just about anything they can get in their mouth. Liver, live minnows, earthworms, crickets and mealworms are all favorite baits. There are a wide range of prepared stink baits on the market. These paste and dough like baits can all be molded around hooks, and will catch cat fish. Freshwater catfish have been caught on unsual baits ranging from hotdogs to Ivory Soap, and they will hit all kinds of artificial baits from plastic baits to crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

Bait size depends on the size of the fish you want to catch. For small eating size channel cats earthworms or small minnows are good. For huge flatheads a six inch or bigger perch, shad, or gold fish is best. Fishing all the baits on the bottom in most cases and you will catch cats.

In lakes it often helps to bait up a hole to draw cats in to a smaller area to catch them. This concentrates them and improves your odds.

Catfish Fishing Tips and Techniques

We can successfully catch Freshwater catfish by following some fundamental methods. It should be clear that each method will not applied to water of all types. The reason is that, techniques and baiting mixtures vary from one rivers with lots of currant and murky water differs from lakes that are still currant and clear water.

List of simple Freshwater Catfish Fishing Methods:Chumming - Through this method the fishermen are able to catch more Freshwater catfish. Just throw in the fishing area, balls made up of a combination of natural recipes. In this way more and more catfish get lured into your casting area. Remember to throw enough mixture to saturate the area of water that you are fishing. The same recipe should mixed with the bait you are using when ever possible which will increase your chances of getting the cat fish to bait. The use of a pleasant smelling flavor in the mixture will do wonders for luring in the big ones.

Tackle - The tackle should consist a spinning reel that should be at least 6 feet long. Use of heavier lines mean longer time to catch the fish. Cost should not be the concern as experience drawn from both cheap and costly tackle is the same. Always try to remove the hooks with the pliers after the catch is over. Ensure that the grip is secure. Some fins are poisonous so completely get rid of them. Simply slide your hand up to the fish's stomach from its tail. Place your fingers on one side and your thumb on the other. Then remove the cat fish from the hook without hurting yourself. All the best for successful catfishing.

Bait – Chicken or turkey livers or medium sized shrimps from the groceries store are the ideal choice for fishermen. The body of the shrimp should be large enough to cover a no.6 hook. Its tail and skin should be taken off this is an easy bait for even the youngest of us to use. Unlike in the case of chicken or turkey liver where use of pantyhose is essential. To the treble hook, a diameter of a quarter, wrapped in a piece of pantyhose with a tag end is attached. The following can also be considered good baitsfor freshwater catfish: blood worms, minnows, cat fish paste, night crawlers, snails, living or dead small fish and dough baits. Natural baits are best.

THE BEST TIME TO CATCH CHANNEL CAT

When it comes to the best time of the year to catch channel catfish, I honestly have a hard time picking because the freshwater catfish typically bite good most of the year. l prefer to fishing in the rain for cats. muddy runoff or muddied up tributary creeks dumping into a lake, or larger river are my favorite spots. they put on the feedbag in these conditions with all the chum being washed into the water. l have gotten them with double handful of worms in their stomachs that have gotten washed in.

Channel catfish like to feed at night, and they will eat almost anything, ,chicken livers held onto the hook by tiring on with a ladies leg hose, stick a tooth pick through the eye and break off, the hook eye i mean weight it to the bottom with not much weight.

Channel catfish also bite very well just before, and just after they spawn. They bulk up just before the spawn which will start when the water temperature is between 70 F to 84 F. It will be 2 to 3 weeks before they will be able to leave their nest to feed, so you won't catch many of the larger freshwater catfish untill the spawn is over. Then when they are able to leave the nest they will gorge themselves to build their fat reserves.

In the fall when the water temperature starts to drop between 69F to 54F the freshwater catfish will start to feed heavy once more to to fatten up for the winter months when the cold water slow drown thier metabolism, so thier need to feed is greatly reduced.

Dead Fall Fish Trap

This is a simple fish trap based on the concept of a spring snare but modified to be more effective in more situations. The deadfall can be setup almost anywhere and has many advantages over a spring snare.

Trapping Crawfish

A couple of years back Zach and I made Crawfish traps but had no luck catching anything so they just got forgotten in the back shed. In this video I take one out and we try again using different bait.

Where to Find and Catch Freshwater Flathead Catfish in Rivers

A heavy pound test will help you pull the flathead away from cover or possible snags. I use a 20 lb. mono line with a #9 Mustad demon circle hook. If I do get snagged the leader will break before the mainline keeping me from having to retie the whole rig again, I just replace the leader and hook and I’m fishing again quickly.

The best rig for search for monster flatheads is the slip rig /Carolina rig, it allows the flathead to take the bait and feel little resistance. I like to use a short leader and at least a 4 oz egg or no roll sinker, the heavier weight and shorter leader helps keep the lively baitfish from swimming of into nearby cover getting you tangled up.

The bite of the flathead is not at all like other species of cat fish, and I think this is why a lot of anglers miss them. The first indication of a Freshwater flathead catfish bite might be a short subtle pull of the rod and a pause if the fish is interested after that you will get another slow pull with a shorter pause, this is when you should carefully pick up the rod and get ready. As the fish takes the bait and you feel a strong steady pull as if he’s just swimming off which it is, this is when you just start reeling, slowly putting pressure against the fish and let the circle hook do its job and hook up. Setting the hook while using a circle hook is not recommended, you will lose the fish every time if you pull back hard and to set the hook. The bite may even be more subtle if you happen to put your bait close to one that is tucked in cover. A lot of times when that happens the flathead will move out take the bait, you will see that initial pull down and that’s all, giving you the indication that he didn’t take the bait. But you have sit on that spot and had no action and you decide to move to another spot, you start reeling in your rods and the one that got that subtle bite but no commitment you thought, has a fish on the other end.What happens is, you have put your bait close to where it’s laying and it eased out took your bait and just backed back into the cover only moving a bit, the Freshwater flathead catfish is the dominate fish and is at the top of the food chain and doesn’t have to swim away from home with the bait like other species do. Usually the fish that you catch like that have swallowed the hook.

The best baits for freshwater flathead catfish are live shad, pan fish, and gold fish. I prefer the shad when available, however they will die quicker when hooked. Pan fish are easy to catch and will stay alive on a hook a lot longer than shad. In current in rivers, I like to hooking the fishing bait through the nose so they are always facing the current but in non current situations like lakes I will hook the bait in the tail portion at the top near the dorsal fin. Sometimes I will cut the bait to make it bleed and create a scent trail.

In the summer months I will target the freshwater catfish at night simply because of the heat factor, fishing shallower water around cover. But as the fall season rolls around and the water begins to cool, I will target them in their deep water lairs throughout the day.

The bite of a freshwater flathead catfish can be subtle at times but the fight will absolutely be powerful and full steam ahead.

South Bend Catfish Line, 20-Pound

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South Bend Catfish Line, 25-Pound

Our South Bend Catfish Line is super-tough, low-stretch, abrasion-resistant monofilament designed specifically for lunker catfish. Special green tint is virtually invisible in most water. Ideal for jug fishing, trot and limb lines.
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